By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Two St. Joseph women have been chosen to serve as
fellows advocating for an increase in quality childcare in Missouri.
Megan Murray with Kids Win Missouri says Kristin
White brings experience as a parent of six, ages 2 to 17, as well as an infant
and toddler specialist with Youth Alliance. Dlo DuVall is a grandparent and
Coordinator of Early Childhood Education for the St. Joseph School District.
“So, both of them just brought unique
perspectives and a work ethic and a passion that we just couldn’t pass up,”
Murray tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in an interview.
Both know the needs of parents and children.
Also, they understand the lack of quality child
care in St. Joseph, which DuVall calls a child care desert.
“If you need child care and you do not have a
family member or a friend that can help, there are very limited spots and there
are big wait lists,” DuVall tells KFEQ/St. Joseph in a joint phone interview with
White.
Both DuVall and White have earned Early Care and
Education Fellowships from Kids Win Missouri, learning more about the
challenges facing the state as well as learning how to effectively advocate
before legislators for policy changes.
The two joined fellows from other parts of the
state in Jefferson City during the annual Veto Session of the Missouri General
Assembly; 28 fellows from seven regions total. Kids Win Missouri launched the
fellowship in 2022 to give a voice to parents and child care providers in the
legislative process. The new fellows began their advocacy during the Veto
Session.
White says the training sessions turn those with
experience into advocates.
“We’ve seen early childhood (care) as a parent,
as a provider and to just be able to talk to them in an effective way that they’re
able to put a face to the issues that are happening, they’re able to put a face
to the stories that are happening,” White says.
Advocates seeking solutions.
DuVall says the child care crisis in Missouri
won’t be an easy issue to solve.
“It’s multi-faceted, because the spots that are
available they may not be able to afford, but then, even if they could afford
it, there may not be a spot open,” DuVall says. “And then the ones that were
getting the child care subsidies, the actual child care centers, the payments
have been very delayed to them. So, a lot of our places in the state have had
to close because of funding.”
Kids Win Missouri also encourages fellows to
engage other parents and providers throughout their region to bring awareness
to issues impacting children and families.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.
